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Home , Great Western Divide, Hart (tree), John Muir, Middle Fork Kings River, Muir Grove

SEQUOIA and RIIS CANYON

NATIONAL PARKS

CALIFORNIA tumbling waterfalls. You will learn, however, as you explore SEQUOIA AND and observe, that each park has its own distinctive character.

HOW TO START YOUR VISIT KINGS CANYON What can I see and do here ? How can I get the most out of my visit? This booklet is intended to help you answer National Parks these questions. So— First, take 10 minutes to read it: read it all the way through. WELCOME It will answer your initial questions and will give you a general knowledge of the two parks. In the section entitled "General The Service, which administers the National Information," you will find suggestions about where to stay, Park System, welcomes you to Sequoia and Kings Canyon Na­ where to eat, and the services available in the parks. The map tional Parks. We hope that your contact with the majesty and will help you locate ranger stations, campgrounds, roads, trails, beauty of these parks will be a memorable and deeply satisfying and places of interest. experience. Employees of the here are As you read, you will find it easier to decide where you want eager to do what they can to add to your enjoyment. to go and what you want to see and do. It is a good idea to You and all Americans share ownership of the parks. Please keep this booklet with you for ready reference. help us to protect them so that they will remain unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. While using them, HOW TO PLAN YOUR TIME you will take sincere pride in preserving them. At the outset, visit the Visitor Center, or the ranger stations at Grove or Cedar Grove. The SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON IN BRIEF uniformed park naturalist or ranger will help you plan the best Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks lie across the use of your time and will inform you about conducted tours, heart of the lofty in east central . nature hikes, evening campfire programs, and other scheduled They cover more than 1,300 square miles of spectacular granite activities. He will also advise you about the things you can mountains, deep canyons, and magnificent forests. Their do and see for yourself. borders, west to east, extend from the foothills of the San You will want to be "on your own" part of the time. One Joaquin Valley to the crest of the High Sierra. From north to of the finest dividends of a -visit here is a sense of exploration Bench Lake and Arrow Peak, Kings Canyon National Park. south, the two parks extend approximately 65 miles. and discovery. There is a great variety of things to do and see Though separately established—Sequoia in 1890 and Kings without guidance—but, for safety's sake, not alone; you may We are sure you will wish to observe park regulations. car out of control. Wherever you drive, observe posted speed Canyon in 1940—they are virtually a single park and are so fish, take a saddle-horse trip, follow the close-in trails, hike You will find them posted in conspicuous places in the parks. limits; practice the courtesies of the road. administered. into the mountains. Consult a park naturalist or ranger for Meanwhile, here are a few points for you to remember: Your camp. Pitch it in a designated camp area; on trail Nature has bestowed her bounty lavishly on Sequoia and other possibilities. trips, camp where others have camped before. Build your campfires in the fireplaces provided, or where others have been Kings Canyon. Early in your visit here you will become aware The Giant Forest Visitor Center contains exhibits, photo­ WILD ANIMALS built. Leave your camp clean when you depart. Use refuse- of the two things that give these parks special distinction—the graphs, and interpretive data about the parks. Be sure to see It is dangerous for you to get near wild animals though they receptacles for all paper and trash. forests of gigantic trees and the extensive, rugged, and lofty these. They will give you a better understanding of the region may appear tame. Some have become accustomed to humans, mountains. Here the giant sequoias (Sequoia gigantea), and will help you recognize the various park features. but they still are wild and may seriously injure you if you Fires and smoking. Do not smoke while traveling along largest of all living things, reach their greatest size and are Make a practice of consulting the bulletin boards at ranger approach them. Regulations prohibiting feeding, teasing, the trails. If you want to smoke, stop, clear the ground around found in largest numbers. They are among the longest-lived stations, lodges, and camps, where announcements of activities, touching, or molesting wild animals are enforced for your you, smoke, put it out, and then move on. Break your match own safety. trees and are known to exceed 3,000 years in age. Here also services, time schedules, and other information are posted. before throwing it away. Never leave campfires unattended the vast Sierra Nevada rises to its highest altitudes, culminating They will keep you up to date on what is going on and help even for a few minutes; always extinguish them with water. in the 14,495-foot summit of , highest point you make the most of your time. About yourself. Avoid overexertion. Accustom yourself During the fire season, from about late June to October, smok­ in the continental , excluding . gradually to strenuous hikes and to the higher elevation of the ing in moving cars is not permitted below 6,000 feet elevation. TO HAVE A TROUBLE-FREE VISIT Both parks have big trees ; vast, mountainous primitive areas; mountains. Stay on the trails. Avoid trips alone. Tell one Pets. You may take your dog or cat into the parks. How­ deep canyons; polished, granite domes; jeweled lakes; and While here, you are living a life different in two respects of your party or a park ranger where you are going and when ever, because of the park wildlife it must be kept under physical from your normal life: (1) You are in a National Park which you expect to be back. control at all times—caged, on a leash, or in your car—and it is to be preserved in its natural condition ; therefore, you should Your car. Some mountain roads are crooked and steep. So may not be taken on any park trails. The National Park System, of which these parks are units, understand that certain requirements, even beyond those usually Park features. All things in the parks—flowers, trees, rocks, is dedicated to conserving the scenic, scientific, and historic always drive on your own side. Drive slowly, and shift into practiced in the out-of-doors, must be met. (2) You are in the and minerals—are to be left unharmed for others to enjoy. heritage of the United States for the benefit and inspiration a lower gear to prevent overheating. On downgrades, shift of its people. mountains, where rugged terrain and high altitudes present into second gear or low gear to control your speed. Remember The protection of everything here is a matter of law; it is also special problems of health and safety. that continuous use of your brakes will ruin them and put your a matter of consideration for others and of good citizenship. INTERPRETIVE SERVICES abruptly to the forested uplands of Giant Forest or General or to Bearpaw Meadow Camp at the base of the Great Western The high country. This is a vast region of unbroken The National Park Service provides certain interpretive serv­ Grant Grove. Arriving here, you already have some indication Divide. , of mountains, canyons, rivers, lakes, and meadows. ices in the parks to help you understand these areas and their of the varied and the grandeur of this region. But General Grant and Redwood Mountain Groves, Kings Within the two parks it extends from Coyote Peaks at the special features. Aside from the exhibits mentioned earlier, much more awaits you. Canyon National Park. The General Grant and Redwood southern border of Sequoia to the northernmost limits of Kings these include evening campfire programs and guided trips to The features of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Mountain Groves are somewhat separated from the main body Canyon at Pavilion Dome. Evolution Basin, Kern Canyon, places of interest. Such services are free and you are invited to are so numerous and so diverse that you have a wide choice of of the park. In the former is the General Grant Tree, second , Bubbs Creek, Simpson Meadow—these are a take advantage of them. things to see. What you do see will depend on your interests, in size to the Tree. It is 267 feet tall, with few of the places where you may find the unspoiled and spec­ Campfire programs. Park naturalists give illustrated talks your mode of travel, and your time. a circumference of 107.6 feet. Other notable giants are tiie tacular natural scene. You will catch glimpses of this wild General Lee Tree, second largest in the Grant Grove, and the country here and there from your car or from such overlooks as on various aspects of the two parks at evening campfire pro­ Here is a brief summary of the chief attractions: Tree, fourth largest known sequoia, in Redwood Moun­ or Panoramic Point. But only by trail can you gain grams at Giant Forest, , and Cedar Grove Giant Forest, . Some of the finest tain Grove. In striking contrast to these living survivors of acquaintance with this rugged but friendly country. The Sierra during the summer season. The weekly program, showing groves of giant sequoias may be seen at Giant Forest. Here, antiquity, is the time-weathered Centennial Stump, cut in 1875 crest, ranging in elevation from 11,000 feet to the 14,495-foot time schedules and subjects, is posted at Giant Forest Visitor too, is the General Sherman Tree, largest and one of the oldest to provide an exhibit for the Philadelphia World's Fair. Big summit of Mount Whitney, forms the eastern boundary of the Center and at lodges, campgrounds, and other public places in of living things. It is approximately 272 feet in height and Stump Basin, where ages-old trees met death from the lumber­ two parks. The Trail enters Kings Canyon National the parks. 101.6 feet in circumference. The maximum diameter of its man's ax, may be seen nearby. Park at Pavilion Dome and extends down along the west side Guided trips. Naturalists also conduct guided trips through trunk at the base is 36.5 feet, which is considerably greater than the width of most city streets. Its age is estimated at Cedar Grove, Kings Canyon National Park. Cedar Grove- of the range to Mount Whitney. the big-tree areas and to important scenic points during the about 3,500 years. In this part of the park, you may also see: Area lies within the mighty canyon of the South Fork of the If you are the hardy type, you can have the vacation of a life­ summer season. You will find schedules for these trips also Moro Rock, Crescent Meadow, Crystal Cave, Tokopah Valley, . Towering peaks rise to heights of a mile or time here. Some folks backpack into the wilds; wilderness posted in the parks. Sunset Rock, and Beetle Rock. Short climbs to Moro Rock or more above the stream. Spectacular canyon walls, views of the travel ranges from this to the relative luxury of pack and saddle WHAT TO SEE Little Baldy open up superb views of valley, forest, and high mountain river, of Zumwalt Meadows, and Roaring River Falls animals, obtainable at many places in or near the parks. Park are readily accessible by road and trail from this center. Cedar permits at present cover the use of about 1,600 pack and saddle Approaching the parks, you travel across the flat and fertile mountain scenery. Or you may take yourself into that high country scene by longer trail trips to Heather Lake, , Grove is also a popular base point for extensive trail trips into animals including horses, mules, and burros. Many people- San Joaquin Valley and through the Sierra foothills, then climb the high country beyond. enter the high country from , east of the Sierra.

Moro Rock, Sequoia National Park. The head of Kennedy Creek, Kings Canyon National Park. ROADS AND TRAILS and the forks of the . Their smaller tributaries, The , the main road that connects Sequoia offering somewhat limited fishing, are best in early summer. and Kings Canyon (see Road Log on back page), winds through You may buy a State fishing license at the stores. A 10-day the Giant Sequoia belt and covers 47 miles from the Ash Moun­ nonresident license costs S5 ; the annual license for California tain Entrance to the northern border of General Grant Grove. residents is also $5. Certain closures and special regulations Branching off from it are other roads that take you to certain are in effect from time to time, so check upon these matters featured attractions or within short trail distances of them. at a ranger station before you fish. Some lead to overlooks for spectacular scenic views. Swimming. Because of the low temperature of the waters From General Grant Grove, you travel 28 miles on State of mountain lakes, swimming in them is inadvisable, and often Route 180 through Sequoia National Forest and along the dangerous; therefore, you'd better not attempt it. South Fork of the Kings River to Cedar Grove. The road con­ Saddle horses. You may rent saddle horses at any of a tinues for 6 miles through the canyon to Copper Creek. Here number of corrals near Giant Forest, Wolverton, General Grant you stop beneath solid granite walls that tower thousands of Grove, or Cedar Grove; in Owens Valley, on the east side of feet above the canyon floor and end in a mass of lofty domes the Sierra; and at many other places around the borders of and pinnacles. Here begin many fine trails into higher areas. the parks. A BIT OF HISTORY ON YOUR OWN Long years ago. In prehistoric days, early Indians used this Fishing. You will find trout fishing in almost every lake and region as a hunting ground. Later Indians roamed its moun­ stream a half day's journey beyond the roads. Park waters tains and fished in its streams. The first men of European contain several kinds of trout, including the famous California origin to encounter the High Sierra were the early explorers, golden trout which is native to Sequoia National Park. The trappers, and fur traders. On John C. Fremont's third expedi­ most popular close-in fishing spots are along the Kings River tion to the West in 1845, a section of his party traveled along

Grouse Meadow, Kings Canyon National Park.

The in the High Sierra, from Moro Rock, Sequoia National Park.

the , which he later named for his topographer. the giant sequoias. However, loggers felled hundreds of "the The Indians had called it Pu-sun-co-la. Spanish explorers dis­ giants' in accessible areas. Ghostly reminders of their activity covered and named the Kings River. They called it Rio de may be seen today in Big Stump Basin, Redwood Mountain los Santos Reyes—River of the Holy Kings. Grove, and elsewhere. In Converse Basin, only a single- In the middle of the 19th century, settlers began moving sequoia, The Tree, was left standing. into the San Joaquin Valley around Visalia. , a Public-spirited citizens, campaigning for years to save the pioneer cattleman, was the first to settle at Three Rivers. He big trees, made little headway. But when a sawmill was erected made friends with the Indians and formed a strong friendship at Colony Mill, Col. George W. Stewart, Visalia editor, and with Chief Chappo, head of the Kaweahs. One day in 1858, Gustav Eisen, of the California Academy of Sciences, renewed Chappo and other Kaweahs led him up to the Indian Trail the fight, aided by a few other far-visioned men. Their efforts under Moro Rock to the fabulous big trees. He was thus the succeeded when the Congress established Sequoia National first white man to see the sequoias at Giant Forest. In 1862, Park on September 25, 1890, and General Grant National Park Joseph Hardin Thomas was the first to see the General Grant 3 weeks later. Kings Canyon National Park was not estab­ Grose and it was he who discovered the General Grant Tree. lished until 1940. The act of establishment made General Some years later, in 1879, James Wolverton, a trapper, dis­ Grant National Park a part of it. covered the General Sherman Tree and named it for his Civil Today, a number of park features bear the names of con­ War commanding officer. It was John Muir who gave the servation stalwarts who helped in the fight to preserve this Giant Forest its name. region for posterity. Among these, and - How these mountains and groves became parks. Muir perpetuate the name of John Muir. And Mount Stewart and was one of our country's greatest advocates of conservation. Mount Eisen, towering peaks of the Great Western Divide, and In his writings, he extolled the natural wonders and beauties Founders Grove in Giant Forest, stand as memorials to some of the high mountain wilderness; he begged for preservation of of the men who helped establish Sequoia National Park.

THE GIANT SEQUOIAS from Placer County south to southern Tulare County at community. It is as if, spanning the ages, they serve as a link San Joaquin Valley. You probably became aware also of the elevations of 4,000 to 8,000 feet. The giant sequoias {Sequoia gigai/lea) are survivors of an with eternity. change in vegetation from the brush-covered foothills to the ancient lineage of huge trees which grew over much of the World's largest. Most of the surviving sequoias are pro­ For publications containing more complete information about higher, forested plateau. On the grassy hills, you saw buck- earth millions of years ago. Evidence of their antiquity is sup­ tected today in Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National the sequoias, see listing in this booklet. brush, chamise, redbud, and buckeye, plants which flower and plied by fossilized remains found buried in ancient rock strata, Parks, in State and county parks, and in National Forests. The seed early and which can survive the hot, dry summer. As you largest groves and the biggest trees of all are in Sequoia and go higher into the mountains, the flowering season is pro­ though not in these parks. The dinosaurs, the giant lizards, GEOLOGY: HIGH MOUNTAINS AND Kings Canyon. gressively later. and the ichthyosaurs are long since gone. Most of the giant DEEP CANYONS sequoias went too, yet the species has survived through the ages, Their nearest kin is the coast redwood {Sequoia semper- Each succeeding climate zone has its own typical trees and Geologists interpret the topography of the Sequoia and generally believed to be in places that escaped glaciation during virens), among which is found the world's tallest tree, 368 is enlivened by its own special floral combinations. Within Kings Canyon region—the high mountains and deep canyons, the ice age. As John Muir expressed it, ". . . God cared for feet in height. At least one of these has been estimated as the parks, over 1,200 different kinds of trees, shrubs, plants, the rocks, the hills, and valleys—as the result of forces operat­ these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and 2,000 years old, but the giant sequoia is the world's largest in and flowers have been identified. ing over millions of years. Tremendous earth upheavals, a thousand straining, levelling tempests and floods . . ." volume and the longer lived of the two. Some of the sequoias Climate affects the animals, too, but not in the way it does you see here—notably the General Sherman and the General erosion, the movements of ponderous and raging the trees and the flowers. Some animals move from place to The only place in the world today where these titans of the Grant—are estimated to be between 3,000 and 4,000 years old. rivers, the winds, and changing temperatures—all have had a forest are found in their natural habitat is here in central Cali­ Many exceed 30 feet in diameter and reach heights near part in sculpturing this vast region. General Sherman Tree, Sequoia National Park. fornia along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. They 300 feet. Colorful rocks of foothill and summit areas yield proof they grow in scattered separated groves in a narrow 230-mile belt were formed as sediments when the region lay beneath the The will to lire. What is the secret of the survival of these waves of the sea—doubtless an eastward extension of the giant trees through the upheavals and changes of geological Pacific. The lighter colored granites prevalent in sheer canyon General Grant Tree, Kings Canyon National Park. periods? How can trees live so long? Several reasons are walls, rounded domes, and glistening lake basins were once apparent. The thick, asbestos-like bark and the wood, heavy molten-rock material, called magma, which originally worked with tannin, resist fire and the various tree diseases and insect upward from depths, crystallizing and solidifying before attacks so often fatal to other trees. If fire, winds, or storms reaching the land surface. cause damage, the sequoia has remarkable recuperative powers. The great Sierra Nevada itself is a huge block of the earth's It grows new wood over fire scars, produces new branches and crust which has been uplifted and tilted westward in several crowns to replace those broken by the elements. The tree major stages. Tilting steepened the slope, thus increasing the seems to have a persistent will to live that surmounts most of speed and rate of downcutting of the rivers. With the advent the accidents normal to a forest. Even at the ripe old age of of the great ice age, approximately a million years ago, canyons 3,300 years, a sequoia has the vigor and vitality of maturity approaching their present depths had been formed. and continues to produce annually the tiny seeds from which new trees begin life. Ice age glaciers gave added beauty and adornment to the face of the land. Canyons were quarried wider and deeper. You may ask, "Are there any young sequoias?" There are Great natural amphitheaters, called cirques, were gouged into and you can see many here, though they differ in appearance the higher ridges and crests. Basins occupied by the many from the older trees. In youth, the sequoia has a tall slender jewel-like lakes were scooped out. And as if to add a final trunk and a thin conical crown, and the branches cover the touch of glittering adornment, glaciers polished and burnished trunk nearly to the ground—a true Christmas-tree appearance. the sheer canyon walls and high valleys. Glaciers have thus Later, it broadens out, develops large lateral limbs, and sheds added that charm and beauty to the Sierra which led John Muir the lower branches. In old age, the tree assumes a broad to refer to it as "The Range of Light." conical or open, oval shape with immense limbs and large tufts of foliage. Once you are able to recognize them at different LIFE IN THE MOUNTAINS stages of growth, you will find representatives of all genera­ tions in most of the groves. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks would be incom­ plete without the native life that is a part of them. Here the Community life. Invariably the giant sequoias live in asso­ animals roam at will in their natural habitat; the trees and ciation with other trees—in forest communities, where they shrubs, the plants and flowers, in colorful array, grow wild in are scattered as individuals or as groups. The forest floor is their home environment. Variously and peculiarly, each is often covered with lupines, dogwood, azalea, alder, and willow, fitted by nature to live where it does. with lovely grassy meadows nearby. Among the firs and the Because of the extreme variations of altitude and the diver­ , the giant sequoias are artistically placed and har­ sity of climate in the parks, you will find different kinds of moniously blended into the forest community. But note how life in different places—for the living things thrive only strikingly different the ages-old sequoias are from their neigh­ where their living requirements are most fully met. You expe­ bors. Massive and vigorous, they are the patriarchs of the rienced a decided change in climate motoring here from the place with the seasons. The California mule deer, abundant from the winter's melted snow. aside an area of great natural beauty as a National Park for all OTHER PUBLICATIONS in the parks, spends the winter in the snow-free foothills, and In winter, the sequoias are festooned with snow; the forest to enjoy. The first park—Yellowstone, established in 1872, generally moves into higher country in summer. The black floor is smoothed and lighted by a trackless white blanket. "as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and You will want to know more about these parks than we can bear, common in the forested areas in summer and early au­ You can get into the picture with skis, toboggans, and skates. enjoyment of the people"—was followed by others, similarly give you in this brief publication. We suggest the following tumn, simply retires to a quiet existence in his den during the If you ski, simple rope tows at Wolverton, above Giant Forest, marked for preservation and enjoyment. The movement spread publications, which are available at ranger stations and stores winter, as do the marmot, chipmunk, and ground squirrel. assist you up the slopes for this exhilarating sport. There's a to other countries. Now, many nations have such parks for in the parks: Various other kinds of squirrels and other animals such as practice hill for novices, an intermediate run, and a steeper their people. Though our own park system contains some ALCORN, WAYNE B. Discovering Cone-Bearing Trees in the raccoon remain in the same territory all year but are most slope for the experts. Unless you are skilled, you had best 24,000,000 acres, it comprises less than 1 percent of the United Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Sequoia Natural History Asso­ active in the summer. The mountain lion, bobcat, weasel, and avoid the experts' run. You can toboggan and ski, too, at Big States and its possessions. ciation. ringtail can be seen occasionally, chiefly at night. Residents Stump Basin near General Grant Grove and on other suitable The purpose of these parks and the pattern of their use were BUTCHER, DEVEREUX. Exploring Our National Parks and of the parks, but rarely seen, are the Sierra bighorn, slopes in both parks. The outdoor skating rink at Lodgepole defined in the Yellowstone National Park Act of 1872. Con­ Monuments. Houghton Mifflin Co., , Mass. gress reemphasized this purpose and this pattern in 1916, when marten, wolverine, and fisher. The latter two, both rare- is open from about mid-December through February. As a COFFMAN, JOHN D. Forests and Trees of the National Park it established the National Park Service. species, shun man and retire to the least visited, most primitive- rule the first snow comes to the higher elevations in October. System. U. S. Government Printing Office, , Two basic principles govern the administration of the parks: places. At any season it is easy to find complete solitude; you will D. C. One is the preservation of their natural beauties as an American The golden eagle nests rather commonly in the mountain be impressed not only by the majesty of your surroundings but COOK, LAWRENCE F. The Giant Sequoias of California. heritage, that future generations may see them as the pioneers crags, and there are about 167 other species of birds that find by the silence within the sequoia groves. U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. a variety of habitats in the parks. saw them; the other is that they be made available for the use DIXON, JOSEPH S. Wildlife Portfolio of the Western National and pleasure of yourselves and of Americans of the future. THE NATIONAL PARK STORY Parks. U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. So, in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, you will THE SEASONS DIXON, JOSEPH S., and SUMNER, LOWELL. Mammals of the If this is your first visit to a national park, you probably will see virgin country as it evolved over the ages. As did the Sierra. University of California Press, Berkeley, Calif. Most visitors come to these parks in the summer. Thousands want to know something of the history, the scope, and the early pioneers, here you will find nature in control, free from FRY, WALTER, and WHITE, JOHN R. Big Trees. Stanford have discovered that other seasons, too, are ideal here, and significance of the National Park System, and how it is man­ human guidance; predator and prey each has its place in the University Press, Stanford, Calif. richly reward a visit. In the autumn, the dogwood, aspen, aged. Only a brief account can be given here. We recommend picture; the forest cycle goes on its appointed way, free from MATTHES, FRANCOIS E. Sequoia National Park: A Geological and oaks enliven the landscape with brilliant red, yellow, and that you read some of the publications listed herein for more the threat of ax and saw; the waters flow undamrned. All Album. University of California Press, Berkeley, Calif. orange. If you come here in the spring—in April or May^- detailed information. about you is change—but it is change over which man exerts OBERHANSLEY, FRANK. Crystal Cave. Sequoia Natural His­ the foothills are covered with flowers; the rivers are bank-full The United States was the first country in the world to set as little influence as possible. tory Association, Three Rivers, Calif. SHANKLAND, ROBERT. Steve Mather of the National Parks. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, N. Y. Clover Creek Bridge, Generals Highway between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. YOU AND THE PARKS STAGNER, HOWARD R. The Giants of Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Sequoia Natural History Association, Three Rivers, At first, you will be impressed by the size of things in Calif. Sequoia and Kings Canyon and by the beauty and the grandeur STARR, WALTER A., Jr. Guide to the . Sierra around you. The sequoias are the biggest trees you've ever Club of , San Francisco, Calif. seen. The mountains are among the highest. The mile-deep TILDEN, FREEMAN. The National Parks: What They Mean canyons of the Kings River are spectacular and awesome. But to You and Me. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, N. Y. there is more to these parks than bigness and grandeur. Per­ WHITE, JOHN R., and PUSATERI, SAMUEL J. Sequoia and haps your stay will be long enough for you to discover and Kings Canyon National Parks. Press, experience other qualities that give them distinction. Stanford, Calif. YEAGER, DORR G. Your Western National Parks. Dodd, The majesty of the sequoia groves fosters a mood of serenity, Mead and Co., New York, N. Y. of separation from the turmoil and fret of the outside world. These forest giants were already huge trees when Mary and Joseph traveled the road to Bethlehem before Christ's birth. Here time drops away; a sense of tranquillity and of peace GENERAL INFORMATION prevails. Administration The wildness of the mountain scene, the rushing rivers, the deep gorges, the serrated peaks—all these challenge and re­ A superintendent, representing the National Park Service vitalize the human spirit. As John Muir, the great naturalist, of the United States Department of the Interior, is the official said: "Going to the mountains is going home . . . wilderness in charge of these parks. His headquarters are near the Ash is a necessity . . . and mountain parks ... are useful not Mountain Entrance to Sequoia National Park. The post-office only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as address is: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three fountains of life." Rivers, Calif. How To Reach the Parks (no auto road), season approximately last week in June to Food and Supplies Forest; ski equipment, knapsacks, etc., at Wolverton; and first week in September. Advance reservations should be sought The two main entrances to the parks are on the west side. Coffee shops. At Giant Forest, open all year; at General figure and hockey skates at Lodgepole. for all of the accommodations listed above. Cabins, partially The railroads, buslines, or airlines will take you to Fresno or Grant Grove, May 22 to September 7; at Cedar Grove, June 19 equipped, at Pinewood Shelter Camp, on Generals Highway, Summer post offices at Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park, Visalia, Calif. From Visalia, sightseeing buses operate to 1 mile north of Giant Forest, open May 23 to September 14 to September 7. Dining room at Giant Forest Lodge open Calif., and General Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park, Giant Forest during the summer; on-call taxi service during No reservations necessary. May 22 to September 13. Calif. Telephone and telegraph at Giant Forest, General the winter. By car, take State Route 180 from Fresno or State- Stores. General supplies and curios at Giant Forest, Gen­ Grant Grove, Cedar Grose, and at all permanent lodges and Routes 198 and 65 from Visalia to the Big Stump Entrance to All communications regarding reservations for accommoda­ eral Grant Grove, Lodgepole, and Cedar Grose during sum­ camps. Gasoline stations at Giant Forest, General Grant General Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park (52 miles) ; tions and for bus transportation to the parks from nearby mer. Limited staple items available at Giant Forest and Grose, Stony Creek, and Cedar Gros-e. Church services, or State Route 198 to the Ash Mountain Entrance, Sequoia Na­ vicinities should be addressed to: Sequoia and Kings Canyon General Grant Grove during winter. Catholic and Protestant, each Sunday at Giant Forest, General National Parks Co., Sequoia National Park, Calit. (Address, tional Park (34 miles). The Generals Highway connects the Equipment rental. Camping and supplies, including Grant Grose, and Cedar Gros-e, mid-June to first week in October to May: Visalia, Calif.) two parks. tents, cots, and mattresses, at Pinewood Shelter Camp, Giant September. The roads to Giant Forest and Lodgepole and to the General Free campgrounds at Giant Forest, Lodgepole, Dorst Creek, Grant Grove's Big Stump Entrance are open all year, but Grant Grove, and Cedar Grove are equipped with running Generals Highway between Lodgepole and General Grant water, sanitary facilities, fireplaces, and tables. A gasoline Mount Whitney, highest point in the United States outside Alaska, Sequoia National Park. Grove is closed at times by snow during the winter. camp stove is recommended. Firewood may be purchased or Where To Stay may be collected in designated areas. Camping is permitted Lodges and cabins. Giant Forest Lodge (American and only in designated campsites, except in the high country. European plans), open May 22 to September 13; Grant Grove- Lodgepole camp in the Giant Forest area and the camp at Cedar Lodge (European plan), open May 22 to September 7; cabins Grove are best suited to trailer use, though no electrical or equipped for housekeeping at Camp Kaweah, Giant Forest, sewer connections are provided. Occupancy of camps is limited open all year, and at Meadow Shelter Camp, General Grant to 15 days. Reservations cannot be made in advance. Most Grove, May 22 to September 7; Bearpaw Meadow Camp, small of the campgrounds are open by June 1 and are closed by snow tent chalet, 9 miles from Giant Forest on the in October.

Log Bridge Camp, Lodgepole, Sequoia National Park. ROAD LOG ASH MOUNTAIN—CEDAR GROVE (Via Generals Highway and State Route 180)

From From Ash Mountain Cedar Grove Entrance Station TO MILES MILES (Read down) (Read up) SEQUOIA

0 . Ash Mountain 76 5 . Hospital Rock 71 10 . Amphitheater Point 66 16. Giant Forest 60 18 . General Sherman Tree 58 Wolverton Road (a) and 20 . Lodgepole 56 29 . Dorst Creek Campground 47 31 • Lost Grove 45 33 • Stony Creek 43 38 . Big Meadow Junction 38 40 . Kings Canyon Overlook 36 41 . Redwood Canyon Junction 35 44 . Junction State Route 180 (the Wye) . 32 KI1S CANYON Big Stump Entrance (h) 46. General Grant Grove 30 53 • Hume Lake Junction 23 66. Boyden Cave 10 16 . Cedar Grove (r) 0 (a) Wolverton Road intersects Generals Highway 1 mile beyond General Sherman Tree, and Wolverton Area is 1 mile east. {b) Big Stump Entrance is 2 miles southwest of Junction on State Route 180. (c) Road ends at Copper Creek, 6 miles beyond Cedar Grove.

MISSION 66 Mission 66 is a program designed to be completed by 1966 which will assure the maximum protection of the scenic, scien­ tific, wilderness, and historic resources of the National Park System in such ways and by such means as will make them available for the use and enjoyment of present and future , Kings Canyon National Park. generations.

Dimensions of the General Sherman and General VISITOR-USE FEES Grant Drees Automobile, housetrailer, and motorcycle permit General General fees are collected at entrance stations. When vehicles Sherman Grant enter at times when entrance stations are unattended, UNITED STATES Height above mean base 272.4 feet 267.4 feet it is necessary that the permit be obtained before leav­ DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fred A. Seaton, Secretary Circumference at base 101.6 feet 107.6 feet ing the parks and be shown upon reentry. The fees applicable to the parks are not listed herein because Maximum diameter at base 36.5 feet 40.3 feet NATIONAL PARK. SERVICE Mean diameter at base 32.2 feet 33.3 feet they are subject to change, but they may be obtained Conrad L. Wirth, Director Diameter 60 feet above ground.... 17.5 feet 18.8 feet in advance of a visit by addressing a request to the superintendent. Diameter 120 feet above ground.. 17.0 feet 15.0 feet Coca: Sixty Lakes Basin, Kings Canyon National Park. Diameter 180 feet above ground.. 14.0 feet 12.9 feet All National Park fees are deposited as revenue in NATIONAL PARKS Height to first large branch 130.0 feet 129.0 feet the U. S. Treasury; they offset, in part, appropriations Revised 1959 . U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1959—O-508288 made for operating and maintaining the National Diameter of largest branch 6.8 feet 4.5 feet For sale by the Superintendent of Documents. U. S. Government Printing Office. Washington 25, D. C. - Price 15 cents CALIFORNIA Weight of trunk (approximate).. 625 tons 565 tons Park System. Total volume of trunk 50,010 cu.ft. 45,232 cu.ft.